Page 93 of Kilted Abduction

“’Tis a missive from the king. He’s sendin’ some men tae claim yer faither, Ciara,” he said. “He’s goin’ tae be tried for treason.”

She frowned but nodded. “I expected as much.”

“I’ll ask that his life be spared, but I cannae make any promises.”

“I understand. And thank ye fer tryin’.”

“Is that all?” Magnus asked.

He shook his head. “Unfortunately, nae. He’s also demandin’ that Thora marry a lad he’s chosen tae make an alliance.”

“Oh fer the wee man! Nae again!” Magnus exclaimed. “Isnae it enough that ye married someone he proposed? I mean, it ended well fer ye, but he still got what he wanted!”

“He’s the king. He can dae what he wants.”

“I dinnae want tae see me sister unhappy.”

Domhnall looked at the parchment and sighed. After a long moment, he balled it up and thew it into the firepit in the center of the hall.

“We’ll deal with that later,” he said. “Fer now, let’s talk about gettin’ ye married and makin’ plans fer that. I ken Katherine is goin’ tae be excited.”

Their laughter rang through the hall as they talked about their wedding. The wine flowed and it wasn’t long before the rest ofthe family filtered in, and the food was brought out for their evening meal. Everybody was excited and happy for them for them. And though Ciara was overjoyed, she couldn’t help but feel for Thora, who had no idea what was happening. She’d been there and silently vowed to do whatever it took to ensure the woman’s happiness. She had been able to find it and believed she deserved the same.

Magnus looked at her. “I love ye.”

“I love ye. And I’m lookin’ forward tae spendin’ me life with ye.”

He kissed her softly. “Nothin’ could ever make me happier.”